The Golf Management Group one-day event at Lingfield Park on the Surrey/Sussex border was a great success with delegates from more than a third of the GMG clubs in the South of England in attendance.
Throughout the day there were popular seminars from Clockwork Golf, B-G-I, Pin High, 59 Club and the PGA attended by representatives of some of the premier Clubs in the south including The Roehampton Club, The RAC Club, Queenwood, Royal Eastbourne, East Sussex National, Chart Hills, Dale Hill, Berkhamstead, Princes, The Altonwood Group and BIGGA.
There were 30 exhibitors from suppliers as diverse as pest control to waste services and from beer to fresh fish so there was something for every department in the visiting Clubs to see.
The hole in one prize of £10,000 cash or a 3 year lease on a Mercedes sponsored by Circle Golf was not won, but PGA pro Jude Read pitched within a foot and screwed back over the hole for a breath-taking moment! Jude was also in the winning team from The Rising Sun with partner Tom Miller who declared his contribution to their 10 under par winning score as the best round he had ever played.
The feedback from exhibitors was excellent. BGI (Bio Global Industries), who make and install Bio Mass boilers for golf clubs, attracted a lot of interest from golf operators wanting help and advice about how to ‘Grow-their-own-fuel!’ Simon Wardle, Sales Director, said the GMG Expo was one of best golf trade shows in the south of England that he had ever attended. In return for a relatively modest investment he had gained several really good solid leads.
Circle Golf who exhibited and also sponsored the hole in one prizes said it was a great opportunity to meet up with and cement relationships with some of their existing customers and they had met some potential new customers as well.
Duncan Clarkson of County Sports Surfaces said he had acquired several new leads and was delighted to get the opportunity to start supplying Clubs in the South of England where he is hoping to expand his business.
Tim Wehrle of Direct Seafoods was delighted to start to engage directly with Golf Clubs as he sees this as an important growth market for his business.
Darryl Chappell of Managed Technology, who supply and service photocopier/fax/scanner machines, was delighted to meet some of the GMG members face to face. He knows how hard it is to break into the Golf Business as most Clubs are tied into lengthy contracts but he is here for the long game with a policy of transparency and competitive pricing that he knows will be successful in the long run.
Ingrid Eichner of Contour Golf, who specialise in construction of Golf Courses and Ranges utilising Waste Infill, had not exhibited before but was pleased to make some new contacts through the show and felt it was a worthwhile exercise taking a day out from the construction sites to come and meet potential new customers.
Golf Management Group www.golfmanagementgroup.co.uk
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